U.S. Embassy Raises Travel Advisory for Kenya Amid Ebola Concerns

The United States Embassy in Kenya has elevated its Travel Advisory to Level 3 due to heightened Ebola risks following the ongoing outbreak in Central and East Africa.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the embassy mentioned that this change from Level 2 was prompted by “health risks.”

“Reconsider travel in Kenya due to risk of health, crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, and traffic safety,” the embassy noted.

The embassy highlighted travel health notices from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pointing out specific regions impacted by the Ebola outbreak, particularly the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).

According to the CDC, the Kenyan Ministry of Health confirmed an imported case of BVD in Nairobi, along with other related cases.

On Tuesday, Kenya’s Ministry of Health confirmed nine Ebola cases, all from a known cluster. Fortunately, eight patients are showing improvement, though there has been one fatality reported.

Kenya has confirmed nine Ebola cases, all within one known cluster. Eight patients are improving, and 134 of 135 contacts have been traced and quarantined. There is no evidence of transmission outside the group. For guidance, call 719. #EbolaAlertKE #KomeshaEbola

On May 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the BVD outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a public health emergency of international concern.

In the DRC, over 9,000 confirmed cases have been reported, along with 4,602 deaths as of October 18. While Uganda has witnessed 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, there are currently no active cases.

Additionally, the CDC reported one confirmed case in France; however, the individual recovered and was released from care on July 4, with no active cases reported since.

The CDC also stated that there have been no Ebola cases related to the current outbreak in the U.S., and the risk to American travelers remains low.